


For All The Times

by bigk4062



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), M/M, Post-breakup, kaiba can't take no for an answer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2020-01-09
Packaged: 2020-12-16 11:47:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21035732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigk4062/pseuds/bigk4062
Summary: 3 months after a breakup, Kaiba is ready to start again. Too bad Joey doesn't feel the same.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been sitting on this forever, so I decided to post it. Enjoy!

Joey walked into Yugi’s house, placing down two grocery bags carefully. He quickly unpacked them, folding up the paper bags and stowing them away to be used again. Shaking his hair out of the ponytail he had put it in, he walked up front to see Yami standing behind the register, talking quietly to a customer who was hemming and hawing over several cards. 

Joey waved at him before walking over to the back room, where Grandpa was working on arranging several boxes of cards that had come in shipment. 

“Ah good, Joseph, help out an old man won’t you?” He asked, handing Joey the box and pointing to a shelf. 

“Gramps, I really wish you wouldn’t put stuff up so high, what if Yami and I aren’t around to help one day and you hurt yourself?” Joey asked him, easily placing the box where the old man had pointed. 

“You two don’t need to worry about me. I’ve managed just find by myself before, and I will continue to do so even if you’re not around.” Grandpa replied, smiling. He loved having Joey back in the house, the blond man’s cheerful disposition made doing everything a bit easier. He pointed to another shelf, and Joey placed the last box on it, dusting off his hands as he did so. 

“There’s some mail on the counter for you if you didn’t see it already.” Grandpa informed him, stepping back to admire a job well done. 

“Thanks Gramps.” Joey said, bowing briefly to the old man before walking back into the shop. Yami was done with his customer, tidying up and placing back the items she hadn’t wanted. 

“Hey Joey, how did the hunt go?” 

“Don’t ask.” Joey groaned, leaning over the counter and sighing dramatically. It had been almost 3 months since his big, public breakup with Kaiba, and Joey was still trying to get his feet on the ground. He had been applying for jobs all over the city, not hearing anything back. Same thing with apartments. Joey was beginning to think that his blue-eyed ex was having something to do with his complete lack of response to anything, He attempted to push that thought from his mind, not wanting to let Kaiba take  
up anymore of his headspace than he already was. 

Walking back into the kitchen, Joey saw a couple of envelopes with his name on them. The first two were junk mail, quickly tossed out. The third he opened, pulling out a single sheet of paper, quickly reading it over before crumpling it into a ball. Stalking back into the shop, he glared, first at Yami, then at his Grandpa. 

“Did either of you know about this?” He growled, tossing the crumpled up paper at Yami who blinked as he smoothed it out. Yugi choose this moment to walk into the shop himself, jumping back in surprise as Joey turned around to attack him. “How about you? Did you know your boss was going to do this?” 

“Do what exactly Joey?” Yugi asked lamely, holding up his hands to defend himself from the irate blond. Yami was too busy studying the paper, trying not to laugh. It was a photocopied picture of Joey wearing that obnoxious dog costume of Duke’s, with the words ‘Lost Dog, if found please call owner for reward’ and Kaiba’s personal cell phone number hand-written underneath. 

“You have to admire his creativity.” Yami muttered to Grandpa, who was shaking his head over Yugi’s shoulder. There was certainly no love lost between the old man and Kaiba, even though he had given the brunet several chances to redeem himself after tearing his Blue Eyes card. He had forgiven Kaiba for that, but the way the young man had behaved when he broke up with his grandson’s best friend caused Grandpa to realize that he wasn’t worth giving another chance too. 

Given the way that Joey was ranting and raving about Kaiba at the moment, Joey wasn’t too keen on him either. Yugi was trying to calm the blond down, placing his hands on the man’s shoulders and getting him to breath. 

“Joey, I promise, I knew nothing about this. What can I do to help you?” Joey stopped at that, looking back over at Yami and his Grandpa, shaking. 

“Tell him the dog’s found a better owner.” He muttered, turning and marching back into the house to start dinner, leaving the three Muto’s behind. Yugi sighed, walking over to kiss Yami before greeted Grandpa. 

“Did you really not know about this Yugi?” Yami asked quietly, showing his other half the paper. Yugi shook his head, sighing. 

“I don’t work with Kaiba that much, you know that. Mokuba mentioned that his brother had been talking about Joey a lot lately, but we both figured it was just him blowing off some steam. He’s been waiting for Joey to come crawling back again, but Joey’s stayed away long enough that he’s starting to get annoyed.” Yugi informed the other two, looking over at the door that separated the shop and the house. 

“Well, he might as well get used to it, Joey’s pretty determined that he’s not going back this time.” Yami said, and Grandpa nodded in agreement. 

“I know, but you try telling Kaiba he’s not getting what he wants. The man is like…” Yugi waved a hand towards the flyer, and Yami couldn’t help but smile. 

“So what you’re saying is that we have to button down the hatches and get ready for Storm Kaiba.” He stated calmly, and Yugi nodded, sighing.

X

The next few days went by with no incidents, allowing everyone to take a breath. The peace was broken one afternoon when Joey was leaving a local eatery, talking to the manager and trying to convince her to give him a job. He had a little success, the woman agreeing to call his references before telling him to go. 

Walking onto the sidewalk, he smiled when he saw that Serenity had texted him to call her. Quickly tapping redial he waited patiently, excited to be talking to his sister again. That was, until she answered the phone. 

“Joey Wheeler, what are you thinking? How could you let yourself go through this again?” Serenity yelled, her voice so loud that Joey had to pull the phone away from his ear. 

“Um, hello to you to sis. Mind telling me what you’re yelling at me about?” Joey asked, arching his eyebrow. 

“Like you don’t know.” Serenity yelled back, her voice lowering a smidge. The blond shook his head, going over in his mind anything he could have done that would have caused this kind of reaction from his sister. 

“I came home to study between classes, and there is about 30 pots full of tulips in my room. The delivery guy told my roommate that they were from my brother’s boyfriend, then he gave her a Hallmark card with a Blue Eyes on it!” Joey groaned, plopping down on a bench he found and rubbing his forehead. 

“Ren, I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was going to do that. We are not back together, I promise. I told you, I’m done with him. He’s just acting like an ass because he thinks he can control me.” Serenity sighed, looking around her room. 

“Joey…” 

“I know Ren. I’m not letting him. We just need to weather this storm for a little bit. He’ll get bored and move on, and we can get back to normal.” 

“Ok big brother.” She whispered, causing Joey to flinch, remembering how Mokuba would always say that to Kaiba when he would leave the older two boys alone. 

“Hey, look on the bright side. At least you got something pretty to look at while you study for finals.” Serenity smiled before sneezing. 

“Maybe I’ll give some to the girls down the hall, they might like them.” 

“Sounds like a good idea Ren. I love you.” 

“Love you too Joey, I’ll see you when I’m off in a few weeks.” She hung up, leaving Joey smiling. His sister always knew how to make him feel better, or when to kick his butt when he needed it. It was good to know he always had someone in his corner, no matter how stupid he got sometimes. Speaking of which… he quickly texted Yugi, asking what the family wanted for dinner before he stopped at the store. 

Glancing over to the west, he looked up at Kaiba Corp tower (it wasn’t hard to spot, being easily the tallest building in Domino) before turning east towards his home.

X

The next day Yugi came home with a peculiar look on his face, holding something in his hand. Joey knew by that look that it had something to do with Kaiba and he groaned. 

“What’s going on now?” He said, crossing his arms, glancing over at Yami who was standing at the register. Yugi held up a card, shaking his head at Joey. 

“Kaiba just picked Duke’s shop to run his new line through. He tried to do ours, but the board was concerned that it would look funny since I work there. He said that Duke’s shop was the next closest thing.” 

“Sounds like a good thing for Dice Boy, I’m happy for him. That still don’t explain the look on your face though.”

“Joey, he only picked Duke’s shop because Duke is your friend. He’s doing it to smoke you out. Doing business with him means that you have two friends in direct contact with your ex. If he had been able to pick The Game Shop, you would have never gotten him out of here. He knows you Joey, if he’s around enough, he knows he can wear you down.” 

“Well too bad he won’t have the chance. I wouldn’t sign that contract even if he had begged me.” Grandpa announced, having overheard their conversation. 

“Thanks Gramps, but you know the money would have been nice.” Joey muttered, embarrassed. 

“Money doesn’t mean everything Joseph. If it did, I would have accepted it when Kaiba wanted to buy my Blue Eyes.” Grandpa reminded him, wrapping an arm around Joey, who nodded quietly. 

“Did Duke accept the offer?” Yami asked, and Yugi shook his head. 

“He doesn’t know about it yet. Kaiba is planning on going down to his shop tomorrow to discuss it with him.” 

“He should take it. Let Kaiba play his stupid little games., I’m out.” With that he fake dusted off his hands and walked into the house, leaving the three Muto’s in the shop. 

X

2 weeks later, things were starting to look up. He had gotten a job, albeit a part-time one, but still, it was something. He had quite a bit of money stocked away thanks to Kaiba, and he just needed something to keep a cash flow until he got a better job.  
He worked the breakfast shift at the diner, and he really did enjoy making pancakes, waffles, and eggs for people. His co-workers were nice enough, even though sometimes things got said in the heat of the moment that made him wince. 

Right now he was in the middle of finishing up a western omelet when Gina the owner came in. She waited for him to plate it before speaking. “There is someone here to see you.” 

Joey blinked at her in surprise, wondering who it could be. True, his friends had come in on his first day to wish him luck, but they had promised they wouldn’t be bothering him at work. Serenity wasn’t due back in town until Friday, and his father had no clue where he was working. 

“He kind of looks like one of the Men in Black. You haven’t seen any aliens running around have you?” She snickered, raising an eyebrow at Joey. The blond groaned, walking over to the kitchen door and peering out. 

Sure enough, there was Roland, sitting at a bar stool by the counter, reading the paper and sipping on coffee. 

“He came in almost 2 hours ago, said he was looking for you. I don’t let people know what my staff’s shifts are, but he knew your car. Asked if he could stay until you weren’t busy, and I told him just as long as he wasn’t in the way I didn’t care. He actually got up and left a few times when it got busy and gave up his seat. Left Donna a nice tip too.” 

Joey stared at the body guard, frustration building up inside him. “Do you want me to ask him to leave? I didn’t think he was hurting anything, but…” 

Gina let her voice trail off, waiting for her employee to say something. “Nah, he’s not doing anything. Tell him I get off in 20.” Joey mumbled, turning and heading back to his station, washing his hands before looking at his next ticket. 

Finally, he was done, and after quickly fixing himself a sandwich, he walked out, locking eyes with Roland before pointing towards a back table booth. They both sat down, Joey crossing his legs and digging into his sandwich while the other man studied him carefully. 

“I see you still have appalling manners.” The older man said dryly, causing Joey to smirk at him. Roland had been tasked with teaching Joey how to behave at the various benefits that Kaiba Corp ran, a task that had almost caused the body guard to quit. He could handle bullets, crazed fans, kidnappings, hell, even Kaiba himself, but teaching Joey manners almost broke him. 

“Wouldn’t want to disappoint you Roland. What are friends for?” Roland ignored Joey’s quip, reaching into his pocket to produce an envelope. 

“Mr. Kaiba wanted me to personally deliver this too you, and wait for a reply.” He stated, handing the envelope to Joey, who took it warily. 

“I apologize it took so look for you to get this, but I was unable to deliver it at your home.” Roland stated, watching as Joey opened the envelope. Inside was a credit card, black with the words American Express typed on it.

“What the hell is this?” He questioned, and Roland smiled. 

“Mr. Kaiba realizes that your break up has left you a little put out. He thought maybe he would help out with your expenses for a while, to help ease the transition.” Joey’s fist tightened around the card at Roland’s words, trying not to swing at the older man. 

“I don’t need his money or his pity. Tell your boss to leave me and my friends alone.” He attempted to snap the card, frowning as he failed. 

“What is this thing made of?” Roland smiled, shaking his head. 

“It’s the American Express Centurion card Joseph. It’s not made of plastic like you’re used to.” That made Joey frown even harder, running his fingers over the card looking for a weak spot. Roland slid out of the booth while Joey was fidgeting, disappearing out  
the door before the blond could react. 

X

“I think Joey is going to kill Kaiba.” Yugi whispered to Yami the next day, wringing his hands together nervously. 

“I can’t believe he gave Joey a card that costs thousands of dollars a year just to use.” Yami muttered, shaking his head. Joey had marched into The Game Shop after his shift yesterday, muttered under his breath before pitching the card at Yugi’s head and disappearing inside the house. 

He still cooked dinner, sitting silently through the meal brooding while the other three attempted to come up with new topics to discuss. He disappeared back upstairs as soon as he could, refusing to come out when Yugi or Grandpa tried to speak to him. 

Joey was up early for work the next morning, leaving before anyone else was starting their day. 

“So what do we do? Just sit here and wait for something to happen?” Yugi questioned, looking at Yami with wide eyes. The former pharaoh shrugged, smiling a bit. 

“Don’t worry, I called in some reinforcements. They’ll be here tomorrow.” 

“Please tell me you didn’t call Mokuba.” Yugi said, looking over at Yami with wide eyes. 

“Nope. I told him I wouldn’t get him involved, he’s tired of all the drama as much as we are. I found someone better.” Yami reassured Yugi, leaning down to kiss him before walking his lighter half towards the door. 

“You’d better be right Yami.” Yugi muttered, saying goodbye to Yami before disappearing out the door. Yami sighed, knowing that this was just the first round of the seemingly never-ending Joey/Kaiba saga.


	2. Staking Claims

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yugi confers with his secret weapon, and immediately regrets it. The gang has a night out, while Kaiba has a flashback.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a flashback in here that takes place about 6 months after Joey and Kaiba start their relationship... a little bit of a potty mouth, and some boy/boy pillow talk as well as boy/girl kissing. 
> 
> I'd just like to let you all know how truly surprised and humbled I was by how many people have read and liked this so far. I'm glad I decided to post it after all, and I hope I continue to earn most of your continued readings while I write it. Thanks to Feledae5,reader4books, WavesOver, and ria_green for reviewing. brambleshark (kiwikiwi), Vixen_Nuit, Oh_Delos, Felidae5, redlolli, Tomski_19, Sethybones, NethyTakahashi, and Gwen as well as all my guests for leaving kudos, and Sethybones and Gwen for bookmarking this fic.

“Sounds like Joey got himself a sugar daddy.” Mai giggled, smiling at Yugi as he handed her a cup of tea. As the official spokesperson for Industrial Illusions, Mai spent most of her time between Duelist Kingdom and Domino, helping to smooth the never ending tensions between Pegasus and Kaiba. 

Yugi had called her under the pretense of needed some advice, and she quickly agreed to come out to help. Informing her boss where she was going, she packed up and jumped on a plane, smiling as he handed her a business proposal for Kaiba. 

“I was going to send Chad with this, but I think you would be much more entertaining.” The silver-haired CEO had said, winking at Mai as she thanked him. 

Meeting up with Yugi, the two locked themselves in his office, discussing everything that been happening the past few weeks, trying to come up with an idea for how to help Joey. 

“I think I know exactly how to handle this.” Mai finally said, standing up and taking off her suit jacket, pulling down her tank top to show off her cleavage. 

“Um, what are you doing?” Yugi asked, blinking owlishly at her. 

“Nothing Yugi. Pegasus just wanted me to discuss a business proposal with Kaiba while I was here, so I was just getting ready.” She shook her hair out of its bun, arranging it over her shoulders. “Can I use your bathroom real quick? I want to touch up my makeup.” 

Yugi nodded, watching as Mai fixed her face in the mirror. When she was done, she walked back over and put back on her jacket, winking at Yugi. “Thanks hun, I appreciate it. How about we have a few drinks after work tonight? It’s Friday, there has to be something going on in this town.” 

“I’ll send out a message, see who’s up for a night out. There’s a couple of places right by your hotel, we’ll figure out one and let you know.” 

“Perfect.” Mai purred, checking her watch and smiling. “Looks like I’d better get going, my ‘date’ with Kaiba is in a few minutes.” 

“Um Mai? You might want to…” Yugi trailed off, blushing as he pulled at his own shirt. 

“Now why would I do a thing like that Yugi?” Mai asked innocently, watching as his face turned beet red. 

“Because I don’t think Kaiba would be impressed by them.” He finally muttered out, looking down at his shoes. 

“Oh, I’m not trying to impress Kaiba at all. Actually, I’m looking for a much different reaction from him all together.” Mai replied, wiggling her fingers at Yugi as she walked out the door. 

Yugi stood in the doorway, wondering what she could have meant by that. Then memories came back-of a certain tournament, when they were trying to stop Marik. Of Joey and Mai, getting closer and closer, and a one night stand before she left their lives after the DOMA disaster, not coming back until Joey and Kaiba were together. 

“Crap.” He muttered, picking up the phone and starting a group text. 

X

“Is this how Pegasus treats all of his partners, or is he just on a mission to piss me off?” Kaiba snapped, glaring at the blonde woman. He was sitting behind his desk, Mokuba on his right. Mai was across from them, sitting ram rod straight in her chair. Mai waved a hand, dismissing Kaiba’s comment as if it was nothing. 

“Trust me, if the man wanted to tick you off, you’d know about it. Now, how about we get back to business on these contracts.” She said, handing them over to Kaiba, smiling innocently as he glared at her. 

While the brunet read, she turned her attention to Mokuba. “So, how are things going with Rebecca? I ran into her at a tournament a few weeks ago, and she couldn’t stop talking about her little Moke Moke.” 

Mokuba eyed his brother, watching as brunet’s jaw clenched at Rebecca’s name. “She’s good, she’s actually-“ 

Seto cut him off, glaring at the two. “This is a business meeting. It is not the time to discuss your personal lives.” He growled. 

“Sorry Seto.” 

“Yea, sorry Kaiba. Mokuba and I can catch up later.” Mai said, winking at the raven-haired young man. “I’m meeting up with the gang after work, you need to come too I have some questions for you, and I want to make sure your brother raised you a gentleman.” 

Mokuba brightened up considerably before glancing over at said brother, who was white as a sheet. Seto had always been insanely jealous of Mai, and knowing that she was in town right as he was trying to fix things with Joey was bound to set him off. 

“I’ll see what I can do, no guarantees though.” 

“Great! I’ll make sure Yugi sends you the details.” She winked at the younger Kaiba before turning towards the elder. “Now, Kaiba, about these contracts-“ 

“This meeting is over.” Kaiba announced, standing up suddenly. Mokuba and Mai watched him, surprised at his reaction. 

“I’ll have my secretary send over my counters once I read these over.” He continued, waving vaguely at the pile of papers on his desk. Mai rose herself, extending her hand to shake the brunet’s, only to have him ignore her and marched into his private bathroom. 

Mai winced as he slammed the door before turning towards Mokuba. “Guess I touched a nerve there huh?” 

Mokuba looked over at where his brother disappeared too, before looking back at Mai. “Rebecca’s kind of a touchy subject right now. He blames her for what happened between him and Joey…” He trailed off, looking over at Mai with a small smile. “Of course, the fact that you choose a red tank top with a black suit might not be helping either.” 

The blonde woman grinned, extending her hand to Mokuba. “It’s always a pleasure to see you sir. Make sure you take some time to visit tonight.”

Mokuba shook her hand, smiling as the older woman left. He tip toed over to his brother’s bathroom door, knocking on it, frowning when his brother didn’t answer.

X

Kaiba gripped the edges of the sink, staring into the mirror wiping his face off. His stomach was still in knots, and he took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself. Joey had told him before about his one night stand with her, and even though it had been years ago, Kaiba had always seen her as the biggest obstacle to his relationship with him. 

Seeing her there, knowing that she was going to be spending the night with him, drinking and having fun, made him realize that his chances on getting things back to normal were slowly slipping away from him. 

Ignoring Mokuba’s pounding on his door, he sat down heavily on the floor, letting his mind wander back to a conversation that seemed so long ago

….

_The two of them were laying on the couch, watching a movie. Kaiba had taken the day off of working, putting in some extra hours during the week so he could spend some time with Joey. Currently, his head was in the blond’s lap, eyes half way closed as they watched some god awful action flick._

_ Joey was completely into it, leaning forward as the two main characters spoke, stroking Kaiba’s chestnut locks absentmindedly. Suddenly, his phone rang, and Joey picked up it, pausing slightly when he realized who it was. _

_Still in a daze, Kaiba half listened as Joey mumbled into the phone, waiting for him to get off and pay attention to him. Instead, the hand stopped moving, and Joey sat up straight arching back a little as if to get away from Kaiba. _

_Something clicked then, and he realized that Joey was talking to Mai. Ever since he had admitted to Kaiba that they had slept together once years ago, he acted weird whenever the blonde woman called him. _

_Kaiba rolled onto his back, looking up at Joey as he continued talking on the phone. Finally, Kaiba got up, stalking out of the living room and into the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of water before gulping it down angrily, trying to control his temper. Joey joined him a few minutes later, watching his boyfriend mutely. _

_“Sorry about that, Mai just wanted to tell me about winning that tournament in Australia.” _

_“Let me guess, she wants you to fly out there and celebrate with her.” Kaiba snapped back, mentally slapping himself. Mai was the one truly sore spot in their relationship, the one person who Kaiba honestly feared. Joey ignored him, continuing his story. _

_“I guess Pegasus contacted her and offered her a job as a spokesperson for Industrial Illusions, and she wanted my opinion on the matter.” _

_“Is that all she wanted?” _

_“Yes, and even if it wasn’t, that’s all I would be giving her.” Joey told him, rolling his eyes. _

_“If you’re sure of that pup.” Kaiba replied, empathizing the last word as if he wanted to use a much worse word. _

_“Don’t do that.” Joey snapped back._

_ “Do what?” _

_“Call me ‘pup’ like that. It’s supposed to be a pet name, not an insult.” _

_“Why would I be insulting you pup?” Kaiba asked sarcastically. _

_“You know what. If you’re upset with me, fine. But don’t start acting like the jackass you were before we got together. I won’t put up with that.” _

_“Oh, are you threatening me now?” Kaiba asked, leaning forward, his blue eyes sparkling and a big grin on his face as he mouthed ‘mutt’ to Joey. The blond clenched his fist, punching Kaiba right in the stomach before turning and leaving the room. _

_…_

_Later on that night, Joey was laying on his back in Kaiba’s bed, waiting for the brunet to finish up in the bedroom. Things between the two were still tense from their fight, but when Joey had attempted to go into the guest room for the night, Kaiba had practically begged him to stay, muttering halfhearted apologies as they had sex. _

_Joey knew he shouldn’t, but he let himself be convinced. The door opened, distracting him from his thoughts, and Kaiba shuffled out, walking a little stiffly, obviously sore from their previous activities. “There’s my little snuggle bear.” Joey said, eyeing the brunet as he climbed in the bed. Kaiba hated being called pet names, and this was Joey’s passive aggressive way of telling him he was still made. _

_The brunet scrunched up his nose in annoyance, rolling his eyes. “I really wish you’d stop that.” He muttered, and Joey just looked at him, clearly calling the brunet out on the irony of that situation. _

_“I’m sorry, I just can’t resist sometimes.” He said, flinching a little as Kaiba snuggled up next to him. _

_“Yet you don’t like it when I call you puppy.” Kaiba retorted, reaching up to dig his fingers through Joey’s shaggy blond hair before kissing him. _

_“I don’t care about the puppy. It’s when you start with the other word, I have a problem.” Joey said, looking down at the sheet. _

_“Ok, I get it. Mutt reminds you of when I was a jerk to you. I won’t use it anymore, I promise.” Joey sighed, pushing on Kaiba’s shoulder in annoyance. _

_“It’s not just that. Didn’t you ever stop to wonder why calling me that worked me up so much.” Kaiba sat up, leaning against the head board as he contemplated the question._

_“I just know I liked the attention you gave me when I said it.” _

_“Look at me Kaiba, what do you see?” Kaiba looked over at Joey, not sure of what to say. Finally, the blond touched his own hair, frowning. _

_“How many Japanese people do you see with naturally blond hair? I got this from my father, an American, while I got my skin tone from my mother, who is Japanese. I’m a mutt, a half breed, a mangy dog. At least, that’s what people tell me. It’s kept me from making friends, from getting jobs, from being treated the same as everyone else. My mother left me and took my sister with her, leaving me behind because of it. So yea, I hate it when you call me a mutt, because it reminds me of what I am to so many other people.” _

_Kaiba was quite for a minute, not knowing what to say at first. “After my parents died, Mokuba and I were sent to my aunt’s house. She had hated my mother, mostly because she was jealous of how much in love my parents were. One day, she was making tea, and I asked her a question about my parents. She freaked out, grabbed me, and held my arm over the steam until it was almost raw, ranting about how I was too much like my mother and she would not have it in her house. Within a month, our inheritance was gone and we were in the orphanage.” _

_He held out his arm, allowing Joey to trace the slightly discolored spot on his left wrist. “She told the orphanage that she was giving us up because we weren’t really her nephews- that my mother had been cheating on my father for years, and we were the results of her affairs. Of course, it wasn’t true, but her lies allowed her to keep my parents money and get rid of us. We got mocked a lot at the orphanage for being bastards, luckily, most of it was directed at me and not Mokuba.” _

_Kaiba finished, pulling Joey close and kissing him, whispering “No more dog jokes.” _

_Joey backed away, looking into Kaiba’s blue eyes. “Really?” _

_“You know I don’t say things I don’t mean pu-Joey.” Kaiba replied, stopping himself from slipping. Joey nodded, leaning back against the pillows and allowing Kaiba to curl up next to him, running his fingers through the chestnut locks as the CEO drifted off to sleep._

….

The memory faded, and he staggered back onto his feet, jarred back into reality by banging on his bathroom door and a worried Mokuba yelling his name. He had to figure out how to keep Joey from Mai, who clearly was trying to get Joey back in his clutches. 

The blond was still angry at the stupid things he had said, and all he had to do was poke him a few more times, then they could have one of their classic blow ups, fall into bed, and this time, Kaiba would stop all the things he did that caused these problems in the first place.

X

“I can’t believe how long it has been since I’ve seen you Mai. I’ve missed you so much!!” Serenity said, wrapping her arms around the older woman and pulling her close. Mai truly was the big sister she never had, and while she had gotten extremely close to Tea, it was Mai that she really looked up to. 

“I know hun. My schedule has been so busy with work that I barely have time to breathe! He may look like an old man, but Pegasus knows how to keep busy.” Mai chuckled, hugging back the younger Wheeler sibling. Tea gave her a quick hug as well, and she got a bunch of waves and air kisses from the rest of the gang. 

“How did you meeting with Kaiba go?” Yugi inquired as she slid into the booth next to Tristan. 

“Threw me out in less than 5 minutes, that’s got to be a new record.” She giggled, leaning back and sighing. “He’s pretty worked up right now, so I told Pegasus that he might have to drop this new Solid Vision project until Kaiba settles down.” 

“That might not be the worst idea ever.” Yugi muttered, glancing over at Joey who was currently shooting pool with Duke, harassing the CEO whenever he missed a shot. 

“Those two seem to be getting along better.” Mai commented, watching as Joey double over laughing when Duke’s ball slid right past the hole. 

“Yea, apparently giving Duke a black eye at our wedding really solidified their friendship.” Tristan muttered, tapping his ring finger on the table and smiling. 

“Where’s Yami and Bakura?” 

“They’re at the bar. Bakura found some shot recipe he wants Yami to try.” Tea said, sighing. 

“Yea, and Mokuba just texted me. He stopped at home to change, and he’s going to pick up Rebecca and meet us here in a bit.” 

“Good.” Mai stated, reaching down in her purse. 

“I forgot to give Mokuba this contract for her as well for the tournament she signed up for. I love hanging out with you guys, it makes my job so much easier.” She said happily, flapping the paper around. “Now, who wants a drink? Pegasus gave me the company card, so the 1st rounds on me!”

X

Couple of hours later, and the gang was spread out all over the place. Joey and Duke had convinced a bunch of people to start a pool tournament, which currently featured Yami and Joey facing each other, each one trying to out trick shot the other one. 

There was a crowd of people around the table, laughing and having a good time, shouting out suggestions to the blond who was currently walking around the 8 ball trying to decide where to try to put it. 

“8 ball, corner pocket.” He finally stated, tapping the right rear pocket with his stick. He curved shot the cue ball, watching as it rolled towards the 8, tapping it perfectly, only for the 8 ball to stop just before falling in, causing everyone to groan. 

Yami quickly called, tapping the cue to finish what Joey’s hit had started. The two shook hands, and Yami got ready to take on his fiancé, who had just beaten Bakura on the other table. Joey shuffled over to his sister and Mai, who was holding his drink. 

“You did great big brother!” Serenity cheered, hugging Joey.

“Thanks sis. Just a little more power and I would have had em!” 

“Nice game Joey!” One of the regulars, Troy, stated before clasping the blond on the shoulder and winking at Serenity. 

“Now, how about I buy this pretty little lady a drink?” 

“I’ll think about it if you stop calling me ‘little lady.’ Serenity replied, smiling as Tony took her hand. Joey shot him a warning look before letting her go, shaking his head. 

“He’s cute. Are they dating?” Mai asked, looking over at the couple. 

“Kind of. They usually hang out whenever she’s in town, but they aren’t official or anything. I wouldn’t mind it if they were, he’s a lot better than some of the other losers I’ve met.” Joey said, giving a pointed glare at Tristan and Duke. 

Mai laughed, tossing back her hair. “Do you want to go outside for a bit? I need some air.” She suggested, pointing towards the back patio. 

“Sure, I just want to finish watching Yugi beat Yami real quick.” Joey said, pointing at the table where Yugi had expertly called his 8 ball, popping it into the side pocket and leaving Yami with 3 solids on the table. He got a bunch of high fives, then used his winnings to buy the next round, which got him a bunch of cheers. 

Mai and Joey accepted their refills before walking outside, Joey pausing quickly to let Tony know he was still being supervised. They sat down on one of the benches, allowing the night air to cool them down a bit. 

“You should come back with me to my place tonight.” Mai said nonchalantly, sipping on her drink. Joey almost choked, hitting his chest as he tried to breathe. 

“What?” He finally managed to ask once the coughing stopped. 

“Come back to my hotel with me. I finally dumped Louie, you’re rid of Kaiba, what’s a better way to pass a night than a rendezvous with an old flame?” 

“Mai…” He trailed off, and she winced. 

“I know I screwed up. I know I took advantage of you that night, and ruined everything we had just to get you in bed. But you’re my best friend Joey, and you’re one of the only people in the world that I have ever felt safe with. That has to mean something, somewhere down the line.” Mai said, leaning over to whisper in his ear. “Plus, it would be a good way to get Kaiba off your back. I’ve noticed Mokuba’s guard staring at us all night long.” 

Joey flinched, sighing. It was true- Fuguta had been eyeing both of them all evening, surely making notes to report back to his boss. He looked over at Mai, who was calmly sitting there, hands in her lap, waiting for him to decide. 

“Serenity’s here. I don’t want to leave her alone tonight.” He finally said, and Mai smiled. 

“I was waiting to see what your excuse was going to be.” She said, kissing him on the cheek. 

“Maybe we can have a discussion about this at a different time?” 

“I’ve just got to deal with a few things first.” Joey said, pulling her close before nuzzling at her neck. He was buzzed from the last few drinks, and he figured a little making out wouldn’t hurt any. 

Mai closed her eyes, smiling to herself. The younger man had turned into quite the heart throb over the past few years, having finally grown into his gangly limbs, shooting up the year after graduation until he topped everyone, even Kaiba at an impressive 6 and a half feet. He also bulked out a bit, gaining the physique his father had had before the drinking caught up to him. 

She stroked his hair, giggling softly as he ran his fingers down her side. After a few minutes he slowly slid his hands up, caressing her right breast as he nibbled on her neck. Mai tilted her head back for better access, opening her eyes slightly only to see Serenity standing over them, arms crossed and frowning. 

“Serenity!” Mai gasped, pushing Joey off of her quickly and standing up. 

“Ren?” Joey asked, looking up at his sister in surprise. 

“I’m so sorry to bother you two, but we have a situation.” She said, shaking her head at her brother. 

“What’s going on? Did he get fresh with you? Do I need to punch his lights out?” Joey asked, getting off the bench with a growl. 

“No, but Kaiba decided to crash our party looking for Mai, said he has some paperwork for her.” 

“Figures.” Mai muttered under breath, looking over at Joey. 

“To be continued?” The blond man nodded, wrapping one arm around each of the girls and walking them inside. 

Kaiba was at their table, drinking a seltzer water while talking with Yami. Mai took his appearance in critically, shocked at what she saw. 

“Is he wearing jeans?” She whispered to Joey, who nodded. 

“He started doing that when we hung out in public places, makes him less noticeable.” Mai nodded, noting the blue button down shirt Kaiba was wearing, as well as the fact his hair was parted completely different. The effects were amazing, and if Mai hadn’t known the man well, she might have been fooled into thinking it wasn’t Kaiba at all. 

Joey pointed to the bar, slipping away from the two women to go harass some of his other friends. Kaiba was tapping on a manila envelope as she approached, clearly annoyed that he was waiting for her. Mai slid into the booth, giving Kaiba her most charming smile. 

“What can I do for you sir?” 

“Are you drunk?” Kaiba asked, looking over at her in disgust. 

“No, but I’m feeling pretty good. It’s after hours Kaiba, lighten up a little!” Mai said, leaning over to pat the brunet on the arm, causing him to freeze as the scent of Joey’s cologne hit his nose. Trying to maintain his composure, he tapped the envelope in front of him again, drawing her attention to it. 

“My counter offer is here. Take it to your boss, I expect an answer by Monday.” 

“Pegasus doesn’t work weekends, you know that.” Mai said, taken a back. 

“Well, you’d better fly back home and make him then. I don’t have time to waste with his ridiculous antics.” Kaiba snapped back, pushing the envelope towards her. 

Mai opened it, reading the papers over and shaking her head. “We would need a week to go through this Kaiba. You’ve completely changed everything we discussed and agreed on.” 

“Not my problem. Pegasus wants to use my tech, then he’s going to have to bend to my rules.” 

“Seto…” Mokuba, who had wandered over when he saw his brother talking to Mai, attempted to defuse the tension. 

“No, no Mokuba, it’s fine. I don’t mind putting the work.” She said, brushing back her hair. 

“Do you want to set our meeting time now? I’ll need to make sure I can get a flight back out here.” 

“Don’t bother. I’ll see you at Industrial Illusions on Monday at 8 AM.” 

“Duelist Kingdom. Pegasus will welcome you as a beloved colleague I’m sure.” Mai replied, taking Kaiba’s extended hand and shaking it firmly, watching as Kaiba stood up and walked out the door, making sure to brush shoulders with Joey right before he disappeared into the night. 


	3. 1 year before the breakup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaiba's been busy, and Joey's been lonely

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Felidae5, lo and WavesOver for commenting. dsr5117 and my guests for kudos, and brambleshark(kiwikiwi) and mouthynewbie for following! Hope you enjoy! And this is a flashback, little background into what happened between them, and there will be a little boyxboy action, nothing major but mentions of sex.

_“Ugh.” Joey muttered, dropping down on the couch unceremoniously. He had just come back from one of his charity meetings, and he was ready to pull his hair out. _

_“I’m so glad all I have to do is cook for these things.” He plopped down, placing a hand on his head, trying to rub away the headache that was forming. He hadn’t seen Kaiba in days, the brunet was working on finishing up some major project, and was sleeping at his office for the next couple of weeks. Mokuba was away as well, working with a crew to pick the spot for the next Kaiba Land. Joey glanced at his phone, debating what to do. _

_Kaiba had texted him right before his meeting, letting him know he had a phone conference with New York later on that night and he wouldn’t be home again. Maybe that’s what was starting Joey’s headache- being alone in that house again, trying to find a way to kill time. _

_Glancing at his watch, he made a snap decision- he was going out for dinner, hang out one of his old stomping grounds. Heading up to the guest room he quickly changed into a pair of old jeans and a t-shirt, pausing at the mirror to give himself a thumbs up before heading out. _

_X_

_The next few weeks went by in a blur- Joey went out to the bar 3 times a week, never drinking that much, but enjoying the company of people who didn’t know him and who pretty much left him alone when asked. He spent a lot of the time talking with the bartenders- often acting like an unofficial bouncer when people would get a little too drunk. _

_Both of the females spent most of their free time flirting with him- once they figured out he was gay, they quickly ‘adopted’ him as their best friend, trying out pickup lines out on him and asking his opinion on different things. _

_Tonight had been one of those nights, they had been very slow, and Victoria had been telling him stories about one of her classmates, both of them laughing hysterically as she continually paused the conversation to check on her customers._

_“Hey ya go Joey. On the house.” Victoria placed a drink in front of him, winking. _

_Joey picked up the glass, taking a sniff before smiling. “It’s just water, or did you do something to it.” _

_“Nope, but the brunet at the end of the bar asked what you’re drinking and wanted to send you over a glass.” She said, jerking her head over at the other end of the bar. _

_Sure enough, there was someone over there staring at him, holding up his own glass and smiling. Joey nodded back, smiling briefly before looking down at the water, knowing that the stranger was about to make his way over to him but still slightly surprised when it actually happened. _

_“Sorry to bother you, but I was kind of hoping you and I could have a drink together?” Joey hesitated, opening his mouth to refuse but unable to get the words out. “It’s just that I’ve noticed you in here a few times, and I figured you must not have anyone to rush home too.” The stranger finished, smiling nervously. _

_Joey closed his mouth, realizing that no, he didn’t have someone to rush home to. “That would be ok, but I don’t drink much.” _

_“Good. I don’t drink much either. How about we order something and talk?” Joey nodded, waving Victoria over and ordering a beer. The stranger ordered one as well, and then they grabbed their drinks and headed over to a booth. _

_Victoria shot him a thumbs up from the bar as they settled in, and Joey fought down his feelings of guilt as the stranger across from him smiled warmly. They started chatting, awkwardly at first, but it soon gave away to a genuine conversation, only interrupted when Angie brought them over some water and snacks. _

_His name was Hank, and he was in Domino for a few weeks on shore leave. “You sound like home. I grew up about an hour south of New York City, and I visited it all the time.” Hank said wistfully, taking a sip of his drink. _

_“My dad’s from there. I actually spent the first few years of my life there, but I haven’t been back since we moved to Domino.” Joey replied, smiling vaguely at the long lost memories. _

_“That must have been a huge change for you. How old were you?” _

_“Five. My sister was only 2.” _

_“Sister?” _

_“Yea…” Joey said, before going off on a speech about his sister, how his parents had divorced and separated them when they were young, and how they finally managed to get back together after all these years. _

_Hank told him his own life story, and before the two men realized it, several hours had gone by. Joey checked his watch, frowning. _

_“I guess I should go. I have things to do in the morning. It was really nice to meet you Hank.” He held out his hand, and they both shook. _

_“You too Joey. Hey listen, my buddies and I are going out tomorrow to some club. Would you like to join us? Give me your number and I’ll call you with the details.” Joey thought quickly for a second before shaking his head no. _

_“Thanks Hank, but I have things to do.” _

_“No worries.” The brunet replied, shrugging his shoulders before getting up. _

_Joey grabbed his shirt sleeve as he was leaving, not looking him in the eyes as he mumbled “I’m usually here on Thursdays if you don’t have anything to do.” Hank’s smiled got wider, and he winked at Joey. _

_“I’ll see what I can do. Have a good night Joey.” The blond watched him leave in silence, taking a few deep breaths before leaving himself, making sure Hank was gone before getting in his car. _

_X_

_He wasn’t there on Thursday, but when Joey showed up on Friday, he was already sitting on a bar stool, his face brightening when he spotted Joey’s blond hair through the crowd. He waved Joey over, offering to get up so he could sit, but Joey declined. _

_Ordering a beer, the two men talked, flirting lightly with each other. The same thing on Sunday, and by the time Wednesday rolled around, Joey was crushing on the other American hard. He wondered vaguely if he should stop going to the bar but brushed the feelings aside. _

_Nothing was going to happen, and it was nice to have someone to talk to again. If his stomach did flip flops every time Hank smiled he would just ignore it. _

_They had made plans to go out for lunch that day, and the blond was currently in the middle of a clothing crisis. _

_“This is ridiculous, it’s just hanging out with a friend.” He muttered, trying on another shirt in annoyance. Hank was leaving on Friday, and his Navy buddies had made plans for some sightseeing on Thursday, so Joey had offered to take him out for lunch before he had to get back to his ship. _

_Finally, he grabbed a dark green shirt, pulling it on over his head and grinning at his image. “Good enough.” He muttered, flashing himself a thumbs up before looking at the clock. He realized he should be getting going, and took off down the stairs, waving at security as he left the mansion. _

_X_

_Hank was waiting when he showed up, looking awkward as he stood in front of the diner. “You ok?” Joey asked, looking him over in concern. _

_“Yea, sorry. I was talking to my family last night before we get back on the ship.” _

_“Ah.” Joey replied, unsure of what to say. _

_“How about we go inside? You can tell me about them while we eat if you’d like.” Hank smiled, following Joey in, and the two men settled at a table. _

_“Do you mind if I order for you? I thought you’d like to try a real Japanese meal before you leave.” Hank nodded, waiting as Joey quickly ordered for the both of them. The two men started chatting again, their knees bumping every once in a while under the table, causing small shocks to run up Joey’s legs. _

_Once they finished, Joey suggested taking a walk, wanting to spend some more time with Hank before he left. He steered them towards the downtown district, as far away from everyone he knew as he could get. _

_Wandering through some of the stores, he told Hank about some of his adventures throughout the years, taking care to be as vague as possible. Most of the stories were from his youth, before he had met Yugi and Tristan, when his dad would send him out to steal food and clothes. Hank listened, asking questions at the right times but looking distracted again for most of it. _

_Finally, Joey led them to a park, and pulled Hank down on a bench. “Are you sure you’re ok?” He asked, concerned. Hank fidgeted for a moment before sighing. _

_“My buddies and I were granted permission to stay off the boat tonight before we leave. We got a few hotel rooms not far from the pier, and I was wondering if you’d want to join me in mine tonight?” Joey blinked in surprise, barely even noticing that Hank’s hands were covering his. His brain was short-circuiting, and later Joey would tell himself that he would have said no if Hank hadn’t been touching him, but all he could do at the moment was nod before crushing his mouth against the brunet’s. _

_X_

_Joey showed up at Kaiba Corp on Friday, freshly washed, newly shaven, and sharply dressed carrying a picnic basket, a bouquet of flowers, and a truckload of guilt. He hadn’t realized how much he missed Kaiba until he was in the hotel room with Hank, his arms wrapped around the other brunet’s naked body. _

_They hadn’t technically had sex- Hank had backed off right as Joey started to touch him, telling the blond he wasn’t comfortable with a one-night stand. There was somebody at home, and even though they weren’t in a relationship, he didn’t want to jeopardize what could happen later. _

_Joey had stopped, pulling away from Hank as if he was burned, hurriedly grabbing his clothes and running out the door. He spent the whole drive home cursing himself for being so stupid, for risking what he had with Kaiba for some fling. _

_The rest of the night was spent preparing lunch for the next day. He was going to fix his relationship, and that started with getting his boyfriend back home. Straightening his shoulders, he marched in the front door, nodding hello to the guard who quickly waved him past security. _

_“Nice flowers Joey, you trying to earn points for something?” The guard joked, and Joey’s face turned bright red as he walked towards the elevator. _

_“Well, you have a good time then.” The guard finished up, turning towards the front desk receptionist and shaking his head. _

_Joey swiped his card, taking the elevator up to Kaiba’s floor, trying to take a few deep breaths to calm his nerves, plastering a smile on his face as the doors opened to reveal his boyfriend’s personal secretary. _

_Actual there were two- Katherine for Kaiba, and Todd for Mokuba, but since the raven-haired boy was out of town, Todd was working on another floor. _

_“Well, look who the cat drug in.” Katherine said, arching an eyebrow at the blond. Joey grinned, winking at her before presenting her with the bouquet. _

_“Are you trying to butter me up Joseph?” She asked, looking over the flowers with pretend disinterest. _

_“Is it working?” Joey asked, smiling innocently. _

_“It might be…” She said, tapping her chin in thought. Joey reached into his basket and produced a bento box, much to her delight. _

_“Much better. You don’t know what it took to clear out his schedule for today you know.” She said, wagging her finger at him. “You boys are lucky I’m a sucker for romance. He’s downstairs with R&D, go ahead in his office I’ll make sure nobody bothers you.” _

_“Thanks Katherine. I owe you a big one!” _

_“You can start with lunch every day for a month, how’s that sound?” She joked, waving him away with a laugh as he disappeared into the office._

_X_

_Kaiba stood in the elevator, completely stoned faced. He had heard from security that Joey was here, and he was not looking forward to telling the blond that he was too busy to go out for lunch. Rubbing his temple, he fought back a headache, brought on by weeks of stress and not sleeping. _

_Mokuba would be back in two weeks, then he will go home and figure out how to make up to Joey having been gone so much. The doors dinged and opened, and Kaiba strolled out, looking over at Katherine who was arranging the flowers on her desk. _

_“I see he brought bribes.” She blinked for a second before smiling. _

_“He knows I deserve nice things because I put up with you all the time.” _

_“You explained to him that I don’t have that much time before my next meeting? I’d rather not go into it all worked up.” _

_Katherine smiled, shaking her pointer finger at him. “Actually, you have plenty of time. All night’s worth to be exact. Joey is your next meeting.” _

_“Excuse me?” _

_“You two are just lucky that Pegasus is as much of a romantic as I am. He agreed to cancel this meeting, he’s going to email you a few issues and said that you can get back to him tomorrow. He’s going to take care of the call with New York as well.” Kaiba frowned, not knowing what to do with the sudden burst of generosity from the other CEO. Katherine took advantage of his silence, handing her boss his briefcase and his jacket. _

_“Take it for what it’s worth and get out of here. Joey’s waiting for you at the green doors. You haven’t been home for weeks, go let him take care of you.” Still Kaiba hesitated, looking towards his office door. “If you don’t leave right now, I’ll call Mokuba.” _

_That got him moving, white coat billowing around him as he turned and fled back into the elevator. _

_X_

_Joey tapped on the steering wheel, waiting impatiently. He hadn’t planned on taking Kaiba home-Mai had called to have Katherine fax over the numbers for the meeting before telling Katherine that Pegasus didn’t need Kaiba on the call after all, and Joey had jumped at the chance to take his boyfriend out of the office. _

_Katherine had texted him that Kaiba was on his way down, and now it was just a matter of waiting for the brunet to appear. He checked himself in the rear view mirror, fluffing his hair a little nervously. He had combed over his body pretty well last night, looking for any bruises or scratches that may need to be explained away and luckily finding none. _

_If he could keep a poker face on, Kaiba would never know about him cheat-almost cheating- he told himself, pushing the thought out of his mind. It would do no good to bring it up now-Kaiba was extremely possessive, and finding out what happened would be a good way for Joey to get himself locked up in the mansion until this project was over. They had spent a lot of time working on Kaiba’s trust issues, and Joey did not want to ruin that now. _

_Speaking of which… the brunet approached the chair, sliding in the passenger seat and placing his briefcase next to him on the floor. “So, is there a reason you orchestrated this little jailbreak?” He questioned, looking over at Joey. _

_“Just missed you, I guess.” The blond replied, turning a little red. Kaiba smirked, reclining in his seat a little. _

_“Do you mind if nap on the way home?” _

_“I thought we’d go to the park, get some fresh air. You look like you haven’t seen the sun in weeks.” Joey replied, patting one of his boyfriend’s cheeks. “I packed lunch, and I have a blanket in the trunk. We can go by the water if you want?” Kaiba nodded his consent, already drifting off as Joey put the car into drive and pulled away from the building. _

_X_

_Later on that night, Joey laid in bed with Kaiba, stroking his hair as the brunet slept. His stomach was in knots- the guilt of what he had almost done overwhelming him now that he was lying in bed next to his boyfriend. He was an idiot, and he really did not deserve to be in a relationship if he was going to try to sleep with anyone he had a fancy for. _

_Yes Kaiba had his faults- the first turbulent years that they had known each other proved that- but he had worked hard to overcome them. More importantly, he had opened up to Joey, telling the blond about the things he had suffered under his adopted father, and Joey had felt comfortable enough to share his own experiences with Kaiba as well. They had built a relationship together, slowly but surely, and he had just put everything in danger. _

_Kaiba frowned in his sleep then, wiggling his body closer to Joey’s so he was practically laying on top of him. Joey kissed him on the top of his head, allowing Kaiba’s warmth to soothe him as he drifted off. _

_The next morning dawned bright and sunny, and Kaiba’s alarm started buzzing at 5:30, much too Joey’s annoyance. He wasn’t even able to shut it off, since the CEO was still laying on top of him, dead asleep. Joey wiggled his shoulder, trying to waken the other man. _

_Kaiba didn’t move. He poked him with his other hand, frowning as he still got no response. He started poking harder, finally resorting to smacking Kaiba lightly on the arm. When that didn’t work, he started to panic. Kaiba never slept that deeply, stating it was from years in the orphanage always having to watch out for the other kids. He started smacking Kaiba, not getting a lot of strength because of the angle he was at. He hit at Kaiba’s head, ruffling the hair a little bit but still not getting a response. He kept going, hitting down the CEO’s body until he finally got a response. Kaiba moaned, slowly blinking as he woke up. _

_“Joey?” _

_“Hey, your alarm is going off.” Kaiba rolled over, tapping on his phone to shut the alarm off before rolling back over towards the blond, who was currently cringing in pain as the blood started to flow back to the side of his body Kaiba had been sleeping on all night. _

_“I need to get ready for work.” Kaiba told him softly, watching as Joey’s face fell before kissing him and easing out of bed for a shower. _

_Joey leaned back against the pillow, going over his own day. Tristan had asked him to come over and help with some wedding stuff, promising that Duke would not be there. The two boys had been fighting ever since Tristan and Duke had gotten engaged, both of them trying to figure out where the other fit into their new group dynamics. He closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of Kaiba getting ready for work…_

_He must have dozed off, because the next time he opened his eyes, the sun was shining and Kaiba was gone. He yawned, stretching briefly before pulling the covers off and getting out of bed. He made his way downstairs, pausing in front of the door to Kaiba’s office on the off chance the brunet had not gone the whole way back to Kaiba Corp. He sighed, trying to ignore the empty sound of his footsteps on the staircase as he made his way downstairs to start his day. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a really hard time writing this chapter because of how cliché it is to have someone cheat while their partner is busy, but it is a cliché for a reason, and I went for it.


	4. Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the present, Kaiba flies to Duelist Kingdom for a meeting with Pegasus, and comes back home to a surprising ally. In the past, Pegasus introduces Mai as his new assistant, and Kaiba makes sure to let her know how he feels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to dsr5117 for commenting, as well as eternity_ryenn, Ophelia_elric and my guest for leaving Kudos!

Breaking through the clouds, Kaiba eyed Duelist Kingdom, looking for a place to land his jet. 

Finally, he spotted a good clearing, gently easing into the area. He hopped out, Roland right behind him, tapping the hidden button to reveal his briefcase. Patting the jet fondly, he gestured for Roland to follow him, marching right up to Pegasus’s front door, eyeing Kemo as the older man stood guard by the front door. 

“Master Pegasus is expecting you.” He said, bowing before pulling open the door. 

Kaiba frowning, annoyed at the older man’s antics. He swept pass Kemo, Roland close behind him, marching into the castle as if he owned it. 

“Master Kaiba? If you would follow me please?” A servant approached them, bowing deeply to Kaiba before doing the same to Roland, who blinked in surprise but schooled his expression away quickly. 

“I was told to bring you to the dining room, Master Pegasus thought you might like some breakfast.” 

“I’m not here for a social hour.” Kaiba snapped, gripping his briefcase tightly. The servant led them through several hallways, even though Kaiba was sure the dining room was right around the corner from the main hall. Finally, they arrived, the servant opening up the doors with a flourish before announcing them-

“Master Kaiba and Mr. Roland to see you sir.” 

“Good, good, let them in please.” Pegasus said, getting up from the table to greet his ‘guests.’ He took Kaiba’s hand, shaking it firmly

“Ah, Kaiba-boy, it has been too long. You’re looking well, being single agrees with you.” He said, pretending not to notice how Kaiba flinched at his words before shaking Roland’s hand as well. 

“Please, please, sit. I had the cook make us breakfast, since this meeting is so early in the morning, I thought we could discuss things over a cup of tea and a good meal.” He then walked back to his seat at the head of the table, gesturing to his left for Kaiba and Roland to sit. 

“Where’s your little go-between?” Kaiba asked bluntly, looking over at Pegasus. 

“You mean Mai? I gave her a couple of days off because she worked so hard on this proposal. I think she was heading back to Domino to see her friends.” He watched as Kaiba’s face paled several shades in glee. ‘A little payback for this weekend.’ He thought before smiling. Croquet leaned forward then, whispering something to him quickly. “Ah, my mistake. She hasn’t left yet, she was just testing something with the duel arena and will be here in a moment. Thank you Croquet.” He paused for a moment for dramatic effect before diving right back in. “While we are waiting, Croquet will have my Cook serve us. I hope you don’t mind a more western breakfast Kaiba, I find that a short stack of pancakes and bacon helps keep out the chill better than anything.” The silver-haired man smiled as his plate was brought out, taking a deep breath over the plate while he waited for his guests to be served. “Croquet, feel free to sit down and eat with us, and tell Cook thank you for this delicious meal.” 

Kaiba, meanwhile, eyed the dish like it was poisoned, which, knowing Pegasus, it very well could be. “Are you done wasting my time Pegasus?” He snapped, ready to wring the other mans neck. 

“Now Kaiba, you’re the one who asked for this meeting, after forcing me to give up my entire weekend to go over your proposal. Is it so hard for you to show some manners to your host? I can have cook make you something else, if this is not to your liking.”

“No.” Kaiba said shortly, cutting a piece and shoving it in his mouth. There wasn’t anything wrong with the pancakes- they tasted fine, and Pegasus had supplied fresh maple syrup with them- but pancakes were a meal that Joey had often made for him when they were together, and somehow Kaiba knew that Pegasus knew that and was using the information to torment him. That only made him more defiant, and he chewed with vigor, determined not to let the older CEO get anything else over on him. If there was one thing that the last few months had taught him, it was he was a fool to think that emotional attachments wouldn’t bother him. He continued to eat, not even batting an eye when Mai breathlessly joined them a few minutes later, full of apologies for being late to their meeting.

X

After they were done, Pegasus insisted on walking Kaiba and Roland back to his jet, pausing to admire the craft. “I have to admit, you do know how to arrive in style Kaiba-boy, you must have gotten than from me.” 

Kaiba bit down on his tongue, hopping in the jet without another word. 

“I’ll see you later Kaiba. Have a safe trip home now.” Pegasus finished, tapping the neck of the jet a few times before backing up, standing next to Mai and making sure to be far enough away so Kaiba couldn’t ‘accidently’ run him over. “That poor boy is wound tight isn’t he Mai?” 

“You got that right.” She replied as they both watched him leave. Pegasus offered his arm to his employee, and together they walked back into his castle. 

“You did a wonderful job with that proposal by the way. I’ve never seen Kaiba-boy give in so quickly!” He winked at Mai, smiling. She smiled back, adjusting her suit jacket nervously. 

“Does he seem kind of… different to you?” Pegasus considered the question for a moment before shrugging. 

“Maybe I should find him somebody to help relieve some stress…” Pegasus trailed off, eyes shining at the thought of making a love connection. 

“I don’t think Kaiba would appreciate your help.” Mai told him sternly, shaking her head softly at him. 

“Perhaps you’re right, but that doesn’t mean I can’t try.” Pegasus replied, allowing himself to drift off again pondering all the eligible young men he knew while Mai stood there shaking her head at him. He finally smiled, nodding to himself. “Well, perhaps I should focus on one relationship at a time. Have you and Joseph finally worked things out between the two of you, or do I need to send you back to Domino on another ‘business trip?” He asked, his one good eye twinkling. 

“We’re going to think on it a little bit. He’s hesitating, so I told him to take some time.” “Kaiba-boy sure knows how to ruin a good thing doesn’t he.” Pegasus replied, tapping his chin in thought. “Perhaps I can do something to help?” 

Mai shook her head, smiling. “You’re just a big romantic at heart aren’t you Pegasus?” 

“It’s what I live for. To help people like you get the ones that they want.” Pegasus purred, waving his hand in the air. “Now, I believe I owe you some time off for working so hard over the weekend. What would you like to ask from me Mai dear?” 

X

Yugi knocked on his boss’s door, fiddling around nervously. He had approached Kaiba the day before right after he had come back from Duelist Kingdom asking to speak to him, and the brunet had brushed him off, telling him to make an appointment. So he did, and now that the time was here, he didn’t know what to say. He opened the door, poking his head in to see Kaiba sitting at his desk, head in his hands as he rubbed his temples. 

“Do you want me to come back?” 

“No, just make it quick. I have a video conference in a few.” Yugi nodded, shutting the door behind him and approaching Kaiba’s desk. 

“Mokuba told me you’re not coming to the wedding.” He stated, settling down in a chair. 

“I didn’t think that I would be welcomed at your party. I’m sure your grandfather is less than thrilled with me after everything that Joseph has told him.” Kaiba replied stiffly, typing away at something. Yugi bit his bottom lip, trying to marshal his arguments. 

“It doesn’t matter what Grandpa says, I want you there and so does Yami.” Kaiba muttered to himself for a second before stopping his typing. “You’re my boss Kaiba, but you’re also my friend.” Kaiba opened his mouth to argue that point, but Yugi held up a hand, stopping him before he could get going. “I know how you feel about being called that, but you can’t deny it’s true. As my friend, you should want to celebrate something so important to me, and as Yami’s friend you should want to support him as well.” Again Kaiba opened his mouth to respond, only to have Yugi stop him. 

“I understand that it’s difficult for you to be around Joey, and I appreciate that. We had a talk, and he’s agreed to be civil if you can be as well.” Yugi studied his boss for a minute, watching as the tension slowly drained out of him. “Good. I’ll add you to the guest list. We are having a few pre-wedding things as well, I will have Mokuba check your schedule to see if you can make any of them.” With that, Yugi stood up, bowing slightly towards Kaiba before heading towards the door. 

Hesitating a moment, he looked back over at Kaiba with sad eyes. “I know everyone is making you out to be the bad guy in this relationship because of how it ended. I want you to know, I don’t see you that way. Neither does Yami.” With that he disappeared out of the room, leaving Kaiba with his thoughts. 

X

_“Ah, Kaiba-boy, I take it you know my newest associate Ms. Valentine? She will be helping me out with this project we are working on.” Pegasus stated, nodding towards the blonde woman sitting next to him. “I figured she was the best one to come to this meeting, since she still regularly plays Duel Monsters.” _ _Kaiba nodded, stiffly greeting Mai while Pegasus watched him gleefully. Kaiba refused to play his game, leaning back and crossing his arm while avoiding eye contact with the other CEO. _

_“Well, I’m sure you two will have plenty of time to catch up later-perhaps we should all have dinner tonight? You can bring Joseph with you if you’d like, I always enjoy talked to him.” Kaiba’s hands twitched at the mentioning of his boyfriend’s name, and Pegasus grinned to himself. Pretending he was getting a call, he excused himself, leaving the other two alone in the room. _

_The silence was deafening, and Mai found herself trying to casually meet Kaiba’s ice-blue gaze. The brunet meanwhile, looked her over carefully, taking in Mai’s appearance. The past 7 years had done little to change her appearance- a few barely noticeable wrinkles on her face, her hair was a shade or two darker and she had lost that fake wide-eyed innocent look that she had used when they first met. Back when she had been the object of Joey’s affection, the one person who could pull the blond male’s attention away from Kaiba where it belonged. “_

_Is your brother here somewhere? I haven’t seen him for years, I’d like to say hi if I could.” Mai finally said, tired of the silence. Kaiba still ignored her, turning towards his laptop and starting to type. “I heard he’s doing really well in college. Not that that’s surprising, he is your brother after all.” She continued, watching as Kaiba’s one brow twitched. She leaned back, watching as the brunet’s mind started whirling. “Serenity and I talk every couple of weeks, she’s been keeping me up to date on everyone.” Mai’s lavender eyes swept over Kaiba, smiling. “She tells me you and Joey have been quite the pairing. Looks like you guys shocked everyone with that one.” Kaiba continued typing, trying not to let her see him flinch. “I’m glad you two seem happy, Joey deserves that, he’s a great guy.” She trailed off wistfully, glancing out of the Kaiba Corp. _

_“Too bad you didn’t realize that when you had him, huh Mai.” Kaiba snarled back, pushing his keyboard away finally and staring the blonde right in the face. “_

_Excuse me?” She asked, leaning forward towards him. “_

_You had your shot and you blew it. Now that he’s happy, you want to shove your nose where it doesn’t belong and count on his old feelings for you getting in the way of our relationship. Well guess what? That is not going to happen. ” Kaiba got up, towering over Mai who had to lean back slightly to look at him. “You might have gotten your ‘booty call’ with him, but he’s at my home, in my bed every night.” He paused, placing his hands on his desk and leaning in as close as he could to Mai. “I don’t care what you do. Call him, email him, text him, whatever makes you feel better about yourself. My advice? You really shouldn’t fall in love with someone who don’t want you. He’s mine, and don’t you forgot that.” His blue eyes gleamed as he smirked in her face, Mai staring up at him. _

_Finally she broke, giggling a little before the dam gave away and she was in hysterics, grabbing her side when it started aching from laughing so hard. “Sorry, sorry, sorry…” She muttered, taking a deep breath before looking up at Kaiba and starting to laugh again. Finally she calmed down, smiling at the brunet while she fixed her hair. “It’s just that usually it takes awhile for couples to start sounding like each other, but you and Joey are doing a great job of it already.” She wiped her eyes, checking her fingers to make sure her mascara didn’t run. “Listen, Kaiba. First of all, I’m seeing someone. Second, I’ve done my share of home wrecking in the past, and that is not an experience I’d like to repeat. Third-“ She paused, thinking over what she wanted to say. _

_“I messed up with the way that I treated Joey before. I know that, and it almost cost me the friendships of people I hold very dear to me. I won’t risk that again. As long as you two are together, he’s hands off, I promise.” Kaiba stared at her, knowing that he should be feeling victorious, but he wasn’t. Something in the way she was smiling at him made him wonder what kind of long game she was playing at. The two sat in silence for a few more minutes until Pegasus walked back in, fake apologizing about his phone call before looking between them and asking what it was he had missed. _

_X_

_Joey stood behind Tristan, watching as his buddy pour over a jewelry case. Tristan had told him several weeks ago that he was planning on proposing to Duke, and had asked Joey to help him find something special for him. They had gone out shopping twice already, Tristan not sure of what to buy kept asking Joey for suggestions, and it was all the blond could do not to scream in frustration. His tolerance of the raven-haired man was low on a good day, and with all this extra stress piling up, he was ready to put them both through a wall. _

_“What do you think about matching watches? Is that too much?” Joey shook his head, hoping that maybe this would end soon. _

_“Just as long as it’s shiny and he can stare at himself in it, I’m sure he’ll be fine.” Tristan huffed at his friend before looking down again. _

_“You know, if I was dating your sister, you’d be here with me looking at rings anyway, so don’t get all snippy with me.” _

_“You wish.” Joey replied, rolling his eyes. “I still say you go by him a pocket mirror and write his name on it with a sharpie. He’d probably like that just as much as anything.” Tristan ignored him, talking to the sales associate about several options and prices. Joey looked over another case before wandering over to look at some of the pieces they were looking at. _

_“Are you going to be wearing these all the time or just for special occasions?” The associate asked after placing a few back. “You might want to take into account the style of wedding band you want as well. Some people like to mix their golds, some like them streamlined.” “_

_He’s got a point.” Joey said, nodding reluctantly. “Duke likes wearing black metals, it would make sense for you guys to get something that matches. He’s not really a mix it up kind of guy.” The associate quickly pulled away some more options, tapping on his counter in thought. _

_“We have a few more in another case that might work as well. Any favorites here?” Tristan studied one with a leather band before Joey nudged him over to a metal one, black with some silver trim. The brunet looked at that one as well, nodding to himself. Joey wandered over to another case, pausing as he looked down. _

_“What about something like that?” He suggested, pointing at another watch. It was all black, but the face looked more like a smooshed triangle with two pieces wrapped around it. Tristan walked over, followed by the salesman after he replaced the ones they were looking at. Pulling out the watch, he handed it over, tapping away on his calculator while Tristan admired it. _

_“Well, if you’re buying two of them, I would be able to sell them to you for about $500 over the budget you gave me.” He said, showing Tristan the calculator. “However, if you like that style, I may have something that will work for you.” He continued, extending his hand to take the watch back so he could put it away. “Just give me a moment please gentlemen.” _

_T_ _ristan looked over at Joey as he left, smirking. “How does it feel to pick out my engagement watch Joey?” The blond moaned, checking his phone to see the time, surprised to see a missed call from Kaiba Corp. _

_“I’ll be right back. Mokuba called me, I’d better see what’s going on.” Tristan nodded, drumming his fingers on the counter nervously, waiting. Joey came back in a few minutes later with a weird look on his face. _

_“Well?” Tristan asked, showing the watch on his wrist. It was similar to the style he had tried on, only a little bit thinner, last year’s model that was being clearance out. Joey nodded his approval, watching as his friend produced a credit card and walked over to the register, coming back over to Joey once he was done. “So, what was that call about?” _

_Joey was quiet for a moment before sighing. “I guess there was a little dust up today at the meeting, so Mokuba wanted to call and warn me that Kaiba was in a mood.” _

_“There’s a shocker.” Tristan muttered, rolling his eyes. As much as Joey disliked Duke, Tristan hated Kaiba even more. He tried to convince himself that his feelings were unfounded-ever since they got together, Kaiba had put in an effort to be less ‘Kaiba’ around the group, and there was times when Tristan found himself almost enjoying Kaiba’s company. However, he couldn’t shake off the past if he wanted too, and the memories of times when Kaiba would have literally let Joey die if it would serve his purpose always stopped him from trying to embrace the other brunet. _

_“I guess Pegasus brought Mai to the meeting today, trying to get under his skin a little bit. Now, we’re all stuck going out to dinner together.” Joey finished, sighing as he dropped his phone in his pocket. Tristan grimaced in understanding. Joey and Mai had been through a lot together. He had been head over heels for her, and that one drunk night in the hotel had messed him up for a long time. They both realized they weren’t ready for a real relationship, and it was just a bad decision brought on by too much celebrating, but they still stopped talking for a long time after that. Now, Joey was in a ‘stabile’ relationship, and Mai had a serious boyfriend, and they finally were able to be friends. That was, if Kaiba allowed it. _

_“Do you want me and Duke to come along? You know how he feels about Pegasus, it might be the best gift I could give him to spend a few hours with his idol.” Joey considered this for a moment before shaking his head. _

_"I don’t want to give Pegasus any more ammunition to use tonight, but thanks, I appreciate it.” With that, Joey smiled for the first time that day, pushing his buddy out the door._

_X_

_Later on that night, Kaiba fell onto the bed, rolling over to bury his face in a pillow, internally screaming. Spending time with Pegasus was bad enough. Adding Mai, who seemed to always know just which button of his to push, made the time unbearable. His whole body aches from being tense all night, and he was surprised he hadn’t started bleeding from biting down on his tongue so much. Joey and Mokuba hadn’t seemed to noticed, both chatting away with their guests. He was extremely annoyed with both of them, especially Mokuba, who he had hoped would have been more in tuned with his brother’s feelings. He would have to talk to him in the morning about it, but for now, he just wanted to lay here and gather up the energy to get ready for bed. He was starting to drift off when he felt hands sliding down his back, and his boyfriends voice softly calling out his name. _

_“Kaiba?” Joey whispered, running his fingers down the brunet’s back. Kaiba mumbled a response, and Joey rolled his eyes, pushing him lightly on the shoulder to make him roll onto his side. “Mokuba and I were going to put on a movie. Do you want to join us?” Kaiba’s face twitched involuntarily, showing his annoyance. Joey leaned in, kissing him on the lips. “You know if you go to sleep now, you’ll be up for the rest of the night in 2 hours. C’mom. Mokuba ran to the store to get the popcorn you like, and we’re even going to let you pick out the first one.” Joey smiled, tugging on Kaiba’s arm. _

_The brunet grunted, intrigued by Joey’s promises but not enough to move. Joey laid on the bed next to Kaiba, burying his fingers in the brunt’s hair and staring into his blue eyes. “I want to thank you for doing this tonight.” He said, leaning in to kiss his boyfriend again. “I know how hard it is for you to trust anyone. For you to sit there and allow me to spend time with Mai and not get angry and jealous was the nicest thing that anybody could have done for me.” He kissed the brunet again, and this time Kaiba responded, pulling Joey on top of him while running his hands down the blond’s body. Joey moaned, breaking the kiss while he looked over at the clock. _

_“We don’t have time before Mokuba gets back.” He whispered, frowning as he looked down at the CEO. _

_“We would if you’d stop talking.” Kaiba replied, pulling Joey down for another kiss. Joey relented, relaxing into the kiss for a minute before pulling away again. _

_“Alright, but don’t complain to me if Mokuba makes fun of you because you’re walking weird.” Joey teased, getting up briefly to pull off Kaiba’s pants and boxers as well as his own, throwing them onto the floor haphazardly as he eagerly claimed his boyfriends lips once more._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had listened to mokenstef's 'He's Mine' shortly before writing this, so that was a partial inspiration. Pegasus's 'It's what I live for' was inspired by Ursula from the Little Mermaid


	5. Truth telling-11 months before the breakup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After dealing with the guilt for a month, Joey gets ready to tell Kaiba what he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, I have limited computer access with my new job so it's taking me longer to get this done. Anyway, thanks to dsr5117 for commenting, and all my guests who left kudos!!!

_Joey snapped his suitcase closed, placing it on the floor. There was only one more box to go then he would be ready. Most of the stuff was already in his car, the plan was to drop it off at the storage unit he had bought before going to Kaiba Corp. _   
_He sat down on the bed, the letter he had written earlier clutched to his chest. His original plan had been to talk to Kaiba about what happened and beg the CEO to forgive him, but he had a feeling the brunet would not be forgiving of his transgressions. Thus the packing, and the hand written note for Kaiba in case he was unable to speak when he was in front of his boyfriend. He stayed there, not realizing how much time was passing until he felt someone grab him roughly. Kaiba’s blue eyes stared at him, unblinking. _   
_"What are you doing?” He hissed, shaking. _   
_Joey couldn't answer, so surprised that Kaiba had come home he wasn't sure what to say. The brunet eyed the box and suitcase on the floor and sighed. _   
_“I know things are crappy right now, but Mokuba really is coming home this week. I just signed the agreement today. He's getting on a plane tomorrow. Once he gets here, I'll make up all of this to you, I promise. Don’t leave.” Kaiba grabbed him, pulling Joey close and kissing him. _   
_Joey pulled back, using his height advantage to maneuver away from his boyfriend. He handed over the envelope he had been holding before, watching Kaiba's confused look as he opened it and started reading. _   
_After barely making it halfway down the first page, he looked back up at Joey. Without a word, he stormed out of the bedroom, slamming the door shut. Joey collapsed on the bed, head in his hands. He had been a damn fool, running around acting like he could do anything he wanted, and now he was paying the piper. _   
_Hearing a noise at the door, he looked up, expecting to see his soon-to-be ex standing there. When nothing happened he frowned, getting up and walking towards the door. _   
_“Kaiba?” He asked, reaching for the handle, going to open it and frowning when the knob didn't move _   
_“Kaiba?” He asked again banging on the door. “Kaiba the door is stuck. Can you let me out? Kaiba?” He banged on the dorsum or, slamming into it with his shoulder. _   
_The door had never done this before. Actually, nothing at Kaiba's house ever broke, as if even the appliances knew better than to annoy him with being less than perfect. Joey banged again, frustrated. He turned and looked out the window, looking for someone who could come up and help him get out. _   
_Of course there was no one. His phone wasn't even in the room, he had probably left it downstairs on the counter when he was making lunch. He was stuck until someone appeared to let him out. _   
_After a long wait there was more shuffling at the door, and it finally open, Roland standing in the doorway with a blank look on his face. Joey didn't even pay attention to him, laying on his side and staring out the window. The body guard knocked on the open door, trying to rouse the blond. _   
_“Joseph.” Still no response from the blond, and after knocking again loudly Roland approached, tapping him lightly on the shoulder. _   
_“Joseph. Get up.” Joey responded, pushing himself up and looking over at the other man. _   
_“Master Kaiba would like to inform you that he expects you to stay in the guest room until he returns from work. We have remove the boxes from your car and place them in that room. Darnel has taken your car to the shop because it was leaking fluid, and you are not permitted to drive the other cars on the premises.” _   
_“He's holding me hostage.” Joey deadpanned, looking over at Roland. Kaiba had used the same tactics on Mokuba when the raven-haired boy kept getting caught sneaking out of the house, which had led to the younger boy involving Joey in his schemes, using the blond as a fall guy and causing the two lovers to get into fights over Mokuba’s well-being which had stopped when Mokuba turned 18 and threatened to leave instead. _   
_“Far from it. You may call any of your friends to come get you and I am at your service until your car is back from the shop.” Roland replied, bowing slightly. _   
_“I'm supposed to be helping Tristan and Duke pick out their tuxes tomorrow. I suppose....” _   
_“Perfect. I will accompany you, after all, I am an expert on picking up outfits for special occasions. What do you think picked out all of Master Kaiba's?” With that Roland picked up the box on the floor, as well as Joey suitcase. “I'll put these in the room you will be using.” With that Roland bowed again briefly before leaving. Joey sat on the bed, dumbfounded as he realized that his plans had been changed. _   
_XXXX _   
_Kaiba swept out of his bedroom, leaving Joey alone. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small skeleton key, the same one he had used to lock Mokuba in his room when he wouldn't listen. Locking Joey in their room seemed a little crazy, but Kaiba didn’t want Joey trying to talk to him in his current mental state, afraid of what he might do to the blond if he did. _   
_Then he marched downstairs, not acknowledging Roland as the older man stood there in silence. Joey had cheated, following some man back to a hotel room. Clutching the letter in his hands, he attempted to read it again, only getting to the word mistake before his vision started swimming. _   
_Entering the garage, he spotted Joey's car, filled with boxes packed with his things. All the sudden it was like he was drained of everything his anger, hate, rage, disappointment, everything. Leaving him empty. _   
_Running his hand down the side of the car, his mind going through a hundred memories- Sunday drives, date nights, just hanging out with each other. Now Joey was trying to use this car to leave him, and Kaiba’s head was spinning. Marching to the other side, he yanked open the passenger side door, throwing the box on the seat to the ground before sitting down inside as if he was just waiting for Joey to leave. _   
_ Placing his hand on the gear selector, he thought back on one night in particular. They had only been dating a few months when they decided to take a short trip out of the city and spend some time in nature. Joey had been driving, barely speaking the entire trip, fiddling with the radio every time Kaiba brought up a topic of conversation. _   
_They had stopped at a small diner before reaching their cabin, and Joey spent the whole time playing with his food. The rest of their drive to the cabin was much the same, until they pulled in and Kaiba finally asked him what was bothering him, gearing up for a fight. _   
_Joey had barely hesitated before blurting out that he wanted to take this trip to tell Kaiba that he loved him. Without hesitation, Kaiba pulled Joey in the back of the car, fumbling around a bit before they realize the back seat was just too short for them. Joey had suggested going inside, but Kaiba solved that problem by opening the back door so their legs could hang out. _   
_That night had been the first time Joey had topped, Kaiba finally admitting that he preferred not being in control during sex. He had trusted Joey that night with his body, his heart, is everything and Joey had betrayed him. _   
_Kaiba punched the dashboard, wincing as his hand throbbed. Kicking the passenger door open, he looked around the garage, grabbing the hammer off the tool shelf, not even blinking before he used it to smash the windows, taking a few hits to do so. He then hit the side of the car, taking a screwdriver and using it to stab through one of the tires, as well as scratching the paint job with it. _   
_Suddenly Roland appeared, grabbing him and pulling him away from the car before he could do any more damage. _   
_“Master Kaiba!” He yelled, snapping Kaiba out of his daze. The brunette looked at the damage he had done briefly before shrugging. _   
_“Get those boxes out of the car, then take it to the mechanic to get fixed.” He said, nodding towards the damaged vehicle. _   
_“Don't let him out until I'm gone, he can move into the guest room for now.” Roland accepted his assignment, carefully watching his boss who was rattling orders to be followed before handing over a piece of paper. _   
_“I will call later on tonight, I expect that he will be here to answer the house phone when I do.” With that, Kaiba left the garage, dropping the tools on the ground as he did. Roland look at the car quietly, quickly putting on the spare before calling one of the other guards over help him remove the boxes before they took the car to the shop. _   
_After they took out the boxes at Joey had put in, he ran the boxes up to a guest room, one of the smaller ones towards the back of the mansion. Once everything was settled, he finally unlock the door Joey was behind, speaking to him before taking the rest of his luggage to the other room. _   
_XXXXXX _   
_Joey walk down the stairs later that night, looking over at Roland who was sipping coffee while reading the paper. _   
_“So how long am I stuck here for?” Joey asked, making his way over to the fridge. _   
_“You're welcome to leave anytime, I already told you that. I just can't guarantee you'll be able to come back. Go ahead and call one of your friends I'll have your car brought to you wherever you decide to go.” Joey muttered something to himself as he pulled some leftovers out to eat. _   
_Standing next to Roland, he pushed the plate over towards the bodyguard before digging in himself. Roland pulled out his phone, tapping it a few times before placing it down next to Joey, who look down at the picture. _   
_“What happened to my car?” He asked, not understanding. Roland didn't answer eating his own dinner while Joey push his own plate away and left the room. _   
_XXX _   
_3 days later, Kaiba was sitting in the airport, waiting impatiently for Mokuba to appear. All of his money and power had not prevented Mokuba from having two flight delays from weather after booking his ticket, but now, his little brother was finally coming home. _   
_Tapping his foot, he glanced down at his watch. Mokuba should have been off the plane by now. He had texted Roland 15 minutes ago to tell Joey to be ready in an hour to go out for dinner. Kaiba had not told Mokuba what had happened, not wanting to upset his brother. During the one brief conversation he had had with Joey, the blond had been told to act like everything was fine, and he had agreed. _   
_Roland had responded that Joey got the message, and now, Kaiba was impatient to get moving. He hadn't seen the blond since Joey told him about his affair with that other man. He had been afraid of what he would do, so he gave himself some space to relax and reflect on things. _   
_Of course, work never stopped, so he never got the chance to deal with what happened and how he felt about it. So, he buried it, just like he always had and now, even though it had not even been 72 hours since Joey had confessed to him he was ready to get their relationship back on track, and to ignore the issues that had started the problems in the first place. _   
_“Seto!” Mokuba called out, running towards his brother, his right arm extended in a wave. At 6’ 4” his little brother was easy to spot, his crazy haircut making him appear even taller. Kaiba couldn't help but smile, waving back to his little brother. He was so happy to see him, and now that Mokuba was back, things would get back to normal. _   
_XXX _   
_“Joey!” Mocha bellowed, jumping on the blond with a grin. _   
_“Well look who finally decided to come back home.” Joey greeted him, wrapping his arms around the younger Kaiba boy in a hug. _   
_“Yeah, well...” Mokuba trailed off, glancing over his brother before shrugging. _   
_“How are the ladies overseas?” Joey ask knowing what that look meant. _   
_“Um... I should take a shower before we go!” Mokuba stated, dashing up the stairs, leaving his brother and Joey alone in the room. _   
_Kaiba will watch him go before turning back towards Joey with a smirk. “He'll be passed out on his bed in 20 minutes.” He predicted, grabbing Joey and pulling him close, wrapping his arms around the blonde and nuzzling his cheek. Joey responded, burying his nose in Kaiba’s hair, breathing in his familiar scent. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Joey pulled away, shaking his head. _   
_“Kaiba,” He said stroking the brunet hair gently, “We need to talk about what happened.” Joey said, watching as Kaiba’s face changed. The brunet pushed him away, annoyed. _   
_“I don’t want to talk about it. You made a mistake, we will let it go and it won’t happen again.” _   
_“That’s not good enough. We can’t sweep this under the rug and act like it’s not a big deal Kaiba. We need to talk about it and fix it.” _   
_“You want to talk about this? Fine. Let's wait for Mokuba so you can tell him what you did. How you been screwing around behind my back while I was busy at work. Hell, maybe you can even lay some of the blame on him since he’s been gone so long.” Joey's jaw clenched his hand twitching to slap Kaiba right across the face. _   
_Finally, he managed to calm himself down, looking Kaiba dead in the eye. “I was an idiot. I let things get out of hand with him because I never believed that I could actually cheat. I flirted a little and let him think it was okay because I truly believe that when it came down to it, I would stop myself. It turns out I could do it. I did cheat. I let you down, and I let myself down. I can't change that. All I can do is beg you to forgive me.” Joey patted his cheek, smiling sadly. “You need to decide if my apology is worth accepting and if it's worth trying to fix things.” Kaiba was silent for a minute before turning and leaving the room. _   
_ XXXXXXXX_   
_Two weeks went by, and Kaiba didn't come back home. Mokuba sensed the tension between the two, and had become a shadow, following Joey around the house when he wasn’t at Kaiba Corp with his brother. It was him that convinced Kaiba to let Joey have a car, and the blond almost cried when Roland appeared at his door with a pair of keys to a rental. He immediately jumped into it, cruising around town for an hour before calling Mokuba and offering to pick him up for lunch from Kaiba Corp._   
_Pulling up by back entrance, he waited for Mokuba to appear, tapping the steering wheel. Waving as the raven haired boy appeared, he unlocked the doors, allowing the younger Kaiba to slide into the passenger seat. _   
_“Seto told me to take the rest of the day off, he said he didn’t need me for his meetings, so what do we want to do?” Mokuba questioned, bouncing in his seat a little. _   
_“Well, I was going to go do the friend tour if you want to join me? Game shop first, then over to Duke’s because Tristan is having an emotional issue about something again.” Mokuba laughed, agreeing to the plans with a smile. Sure enough, they ended up spending a lot of time at Tristan and Duke’s listening to Tristan complaining that his mother wanted to spend their entire wedding budget on flowers while Duke just laughed. _   
_ Once they left, Mokuba quietly watched the scenery go by, wondering how he could bring up something that was bothering him. Finally, he decided to dive right in. _   
_“Is everything okay with you and Seto?” He asked abruptly, looking over at his brother's boyfriend. _   
_“We're in the middle of a little spat right now is all.” Joey admitted, glancing over at Mokuba who was waiting patiently for the rest of the story. Joey sighed, thinking quickly before turning the car into a parking lot and stopping. _   
_“I don't know how to tell you this but... I screwed up. I went to a hotel room with another man.” He finally admitted after a few minutes, wincing as he heard Mokuba take a deep breath. “I was stupid. I was lonely I met this guy at a bar and things got out of hand. I was just trying....” _   
_The slap was reflexive, Mokuba hitting Joey in the face without missing a beat, leaving a red welt. “I trusted you to take care of him.” Mokuba hissed, ready to strike out again. _   
_“I know.” Joey whispered, leaning back against his seat and sighed. _   
_“I'm an idiot. He's never going to forgive me. I should have left and let him go on with his life, he doesn’t deserve this.” _   
_“Stop it.” Mokuba snapped, clenching his fists. “Don't act like you're the victim you screwed up, now you have to pay the consequences. Why did you have to tell him anyway you know he's just going to obsess over it? Telling him isn't going to help anything but make you feel better.”_   
_“I told him because he had a right to know. I couldn’t look at him anymore, I couldn’t answer his calls. The day he found out, I had all my stuff pack in my car because I figured he would have thrown me out when he found out. I tried to tell him the important things- that I was unhappy, that I needed him around, that we needed to figure someth-“ _   
_“Take me home, I don't want to be around you and your excuses right now.” Mokuba snapped, crossing his arms and looking away from his friend. Joey nodded, pulling himself together to drive Mokuba back to the mansion. _   
_XXXXXX_   
_Joey looked out the window, sighing. Mokuba was now ignoring him as well, leaving the blonde with nothing to do except his occasional meetings for the charity dinner, which was finally coming up the day after tomorrow. He was supposed to be going over the menu one last time, to make sure he knew exactly what was needed. _   
_Right now though, he was just done with everything. He was tired of the guest room, tired of tiptoeing around the mansion, tired of not being able to make a decision without having it turn on him. He knew what he needed to do, he just needed to build up the courage to actually do it. _   
_“What are you wearing?” Kaiba asked, looking at Joey with mild annoyance. The blond had waltzed into Kaiba Corp, wearing an old pair of jeans and a t-shirt- clothes that Kaiba hadn't seen on him in a long time. Actually, he hasn’t even seen the blond in a long time. The night Mokuba came home the Kaiba brothers ended up going out to dinner by themselves, Joey claiming that he wanted to give the two time to spend together. _   
_Kaiba hadn’t been home since then, choosing to hole up in his office pretending he had too much paperwork to do. _   
_“What do you want?” He asked, pulling up another chart that needed to be looked over. _   
_“We need to talk.” Joey said, sitting down in a chair. _   
_“Oh, do you want to tell me about another good time you had outside this relationship?” Kaiba shot back, feeling his hand tightening on the mouse. _   
_“No. But that's what we need to talk about. I need to know if you're going to ge- if you'll forgive me.” _   
_“Excuse me?” Kaiba asked, finally looking Joey in the eyes. _   
_“I never thought I cheat, when he flirted with me, I let it go, because I never thought I could do something like that...” _   
_“Yes I know you already told me this.” Kaiba interrupted him, feeling his blood pressure rising. Joey waved his hand, continuing on as if Kaiba hadn't spoken. _   
_“I didn't realize how unhappy I was, how much I needed what he was offering me.” Joey took a breath, swallowing back a few tears. “I've started to see a therapist.” He admitted softly looking down his hands. Kaiba arched eyebrow not knowing what to say. “The doctor told me I need to talk to you.” _   
_“I don't time for this. I have a company to run.” Kaiba snapped. _   
_“You don't have time to fix us?” Joey asked, looking over at Kaiba. The CEO look over at the blond, thinking for a moment before deciding. _   
_“No, I don't.” He stated, turning his attention back to his computer. _   
_Joey nodded, getting up slowly. “I'm so sorry” he whispered, leaning over the desk to kiss Kaiba on the forehead. Kaiba swallow back his protest, schooling his features to not show his emotions. _   
_“You can stay in the guest room until you get on your feet. I’ll draw up some sort of agreement and have Roland bring it to you to sign.” Kaiba said after a few minutes looking up at the other duelist. _   
_“Thanks, Kaiba, I appreciate it.” Joey replied softly raising his hand halfway in a wave as he left._   
_Kaiba went back to work, almost successfully ignoring the dull ache in the pit of his stomach. _


End file.
